Peanut Chaat - cold salad with Indian spices

From WaPo 12/4/24. By Ellie Krieger

Really good, cold, crispy, tasty.  Mixed my own chaat masala (didn’t have it in Indian store) and only used 1 tsp of it, plus some Aleppo pepper from Shafa spices. 

This easy, no-cook peanut chaat, a type of Indian snack or appetizer, is crunchy, sweet, spicy, tangy and salty. With this recipe from food writer Khushbu Shah’s cookbook, “Amrikan,” you can substitute any crunchy vegetables you like, such as carrot, jicama or radish, or use diced apple instead of the pomegranate.

Storage: The chaat is best eaten as soon as it’s made; it does not store well.

Where to buy: Chaat masala, a spice blend, is available at Indian markets and online.

Adapted by cookbook author and registered dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger from “Amrikan” by Khushbu Shah (Norton, 2024).

Ingredients

measuring cup

Servings: 6 (makes about 4 cups)

• 1 1/2 cups pomegranate seeds
• 1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced cucumber (any kind)
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
• 2 teaspoons chaat masala (see Where to buy and Notes)
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• Fine salt (optional)

Directions

Time IconTotal: 15 mins

1. Step 1

   In a medium bowl, gently stir together the pomegranate seeds, peanuts, bell pepper, cucumber, onion and cilantro until combined. Add the lemon juice, chaat masala and chili powder, and gently toss to combine. Taste, season with salt, if desired, and serve right away.

Substitutions

Bell pepper or cucumber >> any crunchy vegetables you like, such as carrot, jicama or radish.
Pomegranate seeds >> diced apple.
White onion >> red onion.
Peanuts >> chopped unsalted, roasted cashews.
Kashmiri chili powder >> conventional chili powder.

Notes

To make your own chaat masala blend, combine 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon amchoor powder, 1/4 teaspoon kala namak (black salt), 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon fine salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.